A draft of the update of the Deer Hunting Plan and Environmental Assessment
for Mackay Island National
Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Currituck County,
NC and Virginia Beach, VA is available for a 31-day public review beginning
March 6, 2007. The comment period will end April 5, 2007.

The updated Hunting Plan describes two alternatives for deer hunting
on the refuge: (1) the no-action alternative would continue the hunting
program that is currently in place and (2) the proposed action open an
additional 880 acres of hunting on the Virginia portion of the refuge
Under the proposed action, the deer hunting program would continue to
allow deer hunting in the far northern portion of the refuge. Hunting
would be carried out in accordance with Federal and state regulations
and refuge-specific regulations.

Copies of the plan can be
requested from the refuge or downloaded at http://www.fws.gov/mackayisland

Written comments, requests
for the plan, or questions can be directed to Tim Cooper, Refuge Manager,
at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge, P. O. Box 39, Knotts Island,
North Carolina 27950; (252) 429-3100 X 26. Email comments can be provided
to the following address: tim_cooper@fws.gov.

Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1960. Currently,
the refuge encompasses approximately 8,219 acres in Currituck Co., NC
and the city of Virginia Beach, VA. Besides deer hunting, the refuge
also offers opportunities for fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, interpretation, and environmental education.

The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible
for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and
their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The
Service manages the 94 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which
encompasses more than 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services
field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers
the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat
such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation
efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds
of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment
to state fish and wildlife agencies.